Gloucester - BHS

Gloucester is blessed with having two concrete murals by Henry and Joyce Collins - the usual suspects (but bless them both) of BHS and Sainsburys. today's posting covers the former.

The British Home Stores mural is on Eastgate Street, opposite the entrance to the Eastgate Shopping Centre. There is a potential threat to this mural as the BHS store is now closed, and is currently unoccupied.

At the moment I have no date for when this mural was installed.

The mural is made up of three large panels, which are protected by the overhang of the building.

It is probably the fate of most public artworks that most people were walking past oblivious to what was there. I got plenty of quizzical looks when I was taking the photographs. But maybe, just maybe, one of those people went back to have a proper look at the mural. And perhaps people enjoy it when they are sheltering from the rain.

And so to a bit about the individual panels. Going from left to right:

Panel 1

The BHS Gloucester mural is mainly about the products to buy, and hence there is not the historical decoding that was required for the Stockport mural.

There is some lovely detail on toys...

...and on baskets of goods, which are repeated on Panel 3.

The only research required is for the coats of arm. The one below is included on both the first and third panels, and is that for the City of Gloucester. It was granted in 1652, and for those of you who speak the arcane language of heraldry, is three Chrevonrels between ten Torteaux Gules three three three and one.

Panel 2 seems to be about things to eat, such as pyramids of fruit.

Livestock in various different forms is also represented.

The coat of arms on panel 2 is that of Gloucestershire, granted in 1935. Quite obviously it is per chevron Gules and Or in chief two Fleeces and in base three Chevronels countercharged on a Chief of the second a Billet azure between two Billets Vert each charged with a Horseshoe Gold (with thanks to www.heraldry-wiki.com).

Panel 3 majors on items of clothing, but also has a cornucopia of hardware and other goods. the sheer number of individual items on the mural is amazing.

The way in which the clothing is portrayed is both comical and charming, and to me brings to mind Mr Benn. Alas, with BHS now closed the shopkeeper is unlikely to appear.

 

 

Photographs were taken on 27 March 2019.